Review of Cidrerie du Vulcain’s Premiers Emois, from Switzerland.  Its my first time trying this cider, but I have previously tasted their Transparente.

Cider:  Premiers Emois
Cidery:  Cidrerie du Vulcain
Cidery Location:  Le Mouret, Switzerland
ABV:  7.1%
How Supplied:  750ml corked & caged bottles
Style:  Swiss Doux (sweet) sparkling cider, with Organic native heirloom apples, wild yeast fermented, made using traditional methods

Availability:  unknown

Cider Description:  Delicate aromas of apples. A note of ash. A note of something the color green: mountain plants that change with air into walnut husk. But everything is hinted at. It’s aptly named. Premiers Emois: the first stirrings of love, of infatuation. It’s a blushing bouquet. On the front palate it is a little weightier than Transparente and it is a tad sweeter. But even though it says doux, it tastes demi-sec. It is the softest of the bunch, with great fruit, no astringency, and the least pronounced saltiness. Lovely, affectionate, secretive. It’s like holding hands, like one’s premiers emois. Pair after winter with the first warm rays of sun, and with all spring afternoons thereafter.

Here is more info on the cider.

Apple Varieties:  Bohnapfel, Pomme Raisin, Boskop, and Engishofer

Cidery Description:  Cidrerie du Vulcain was started in 2006 by Jacques Perritaz.  The cidery’s name is from the local Vulcan butterfly that feeds on the juice of fallen apples.  Here is a more info on the cidery.

Price:  50% off $18.99
Where Bought:  Downtown Spirits in Seattle WA
Where Drank:  home
How Found:  Browsing, after Rev Nat’s cider class during WA Cider Week 2017.  They had a great selection of ciders on a 50% off shelf, and I bought most of them (including Eric Bordelet, Slyboro, Alpenfire, and this one).

First Impression:  Light orange gold hue.  Moderate to high carbonation, tiny bubbles, with some foam.  Smells fruity, of yeast, with a hint of funk.

Tasting Notes:  On the drier side of semi-sweet.  Medium bodied with a fluffy texture.  Low tartness.  Low to moderate acidity.  Hints of tannins and funk.  No bitterness or sourness.  Notes of pear, pineapple, strawberry, mango, and a hint of creaminess.  Moderate length finish.  Moderate apple flavor.  High sessionability.  Moderate to high flavor intensity and and complexity.

My Opinion:  Awesome!  I drank this entire bottle by myself, and it disappeared way too quickly.  I especially loved the flavor and texture.  It was very complex and immensely fruity.

Most Similar to:  The texture (natural high carbonation) and scent reminded me of French cider, but it was missing the apple and yeast forward flavor of a French cider.  The most similar U.S. cider I’ve had is Eve’s Rustica, which I also really enjoyed.

Closing Notes:   This is the only Swiss cidery I’ve seen ciders from in the U.S.

Have you tried any Swiss ciders, such as from Cidrerie du Vulcain?  What did you think?